I agree with the assessment that these comments aren't a big deal. The team is playing very poorly right now, so that's what Curry is going to say.

I can't remember how many times last year that similar questions would be asked, and we would get an answer back in "Flip-speak" about missing shots or something. It's refreshing to hear some honesty from someone in the organization.

I also appreciated the comments about this is not that championship veteran team from 2004. Only three of these players have rings, and they are much older. This is the type of entitlement and that fans have been calling for to be stamped out of the locker-room for years now.

What is the big deal? That our team isn't mentally and physically tough? They aren't. That is why Boston manhandles us and we have two players in the league leaders for techs.

I don't get it. I didn't see the coach throw his players under the bus, I saw a sincere criticism of what most of us have been watching for 3 years.

So please, feel free to disagree with me. What did I miss?

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I completely agree. And I also would emphasize: when he said this isn't the championship team anymore, that only Rip, Tay, and Sheed were still there from that team, I thought that was super-healthy. Like -- wake-up everybody!! People act like -- since our championship -- we've been "this close". But we haven't actually been "this close." That championship year was pretty magical stuff, but if you look coldly at it, repeats were actually unlikely (and the fact that we took the Spurs to seven games the next year, after beating Miami in the ECF when Wade hurt his back, changes nothing -- that was unlikely too). And, well, the seasons since then, very obviously. This hasn't been a championship team, in my opinion, well, since they actually won the championship.

We've been marginal contenders (i.e. one of those teams that, if everything goes perfectly right, could come out on top). And that's been fine and entertaining enough for me up until last year, when I got bored with that status. Now, as a fan, I'm fascinated by the team in flux, fascinated to see if somehow out of all this uncertainty a team emerges -- this year, next year, two years from now, who knows when -- that is stomp-everybody-dominant.

I saw it on ESPN first take, and actually watching it i don't think it's that bad. The recap i heard was very exaggerated. And on another note whoever that woman was on first take is was a moron. While making a valid point about our front court, she kept talking about how Max had 0 points in the game and another few where he did as well. He didn't play!! Neither did almot our entire front court. Aren't these people paid to know these things ?

He's gonna huwt Wip's feewings.

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I think it's safe to say Rip's done having hurt feelings. Now we just got to figure out what AI's problem is.

edited to add;

I still have a problem with Curry not taking any blame, and thinking his lineup wasn't the cause of the problems he's lamenting about, but a tamer interview than i was expecting.

oh wow i didn't know it was ESPN first take or whatever. it seemed rather matter-of-fact, i didn't see the big deal about it. the defense was not very good in the 2nd half but i still think it was more a coaching loss than anything.

oh wow i didn't know it was ESPN first take or whatever. it seemed rather matter-of-fact, i didn't see the big deal about it. the defense was not very good in the 2nd half but i still think it was more a coaching loss than anything.

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They said that Curry was calling out Joe D and the trade with those comments. I'm not really sure how they came to that conclusion.

Was this the abreviated version? Did anyone ask a question as to why Max and Amir did not play?? or how their bench was so effective or why Tay played so many minutes and a hot Sheed didn't?

Should we had issued press passes to Dlev, Armygirl or D4E to get in there ask the forum questions?

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It was third down or something like that. They spent about two min or so. Skip Bayless was the one that started in on this is Micheal Curry taking a shot at Joe D about the trade, etc. All three kinda agreed that Joe is on the hot seat. Skip said that it was bad trade and he thought that from the beginning. Then this women (who i don't know the name of) said that AI isn't the problem; basically blamed the front court, and started listing Sheed's statistics, and Max's 0 pointes not once acknowledging that our frontcourt was essentially benched. However, she made a good point about how our original problem was never at guard. And then she started criticizing Rip saying that he's not as effective anymore because he took losing his best freind so hard. And i think they all agreed that Billups was the leader of the team and we're lost w/o him.

I saw it on ESPN first take, and actually watching it i don't think it's that bad. The recap i heard was very exaggerated. And on another note whoever that woman was on first take is was a moron. While making a valid point about our front court, she kept talking about how Max had 0 points in the game and another few where he did as well. He didn't play!! Neither did almot our entire front court. Aren't these people paid to know these things ? .

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I believe you are talking about Jamele Hill. She went to Detroit Mumford and Michigan State and although she tries to be impartial on First Take, she love her Pistons, lions etc just like the rest of us homers.. she was probably frustrated like us too, but you are right she should have watched the game and read the box score before making a statement about Max unless she has the hots for him...then again at 34 she might be to old for him...

The part that gets to me slightly is the fact even the Flip Saunders-led Pistons only gave up 90ppg as the core started to break apart.

Even before the trade this year, when the group was nearly identical to last season, this team sucked on defense. Seems like Curry is just trying to use the roster as an excuse to play poor defensively. Can't imagine Joe D is liking that. The Championship Pistons were a great defensive team not just because of the individuals, it was even more about the system. Curry doesn't have one.

The other thing is, how do you get off playing the lineups Curry did, and then even think about bringing up defense in the post-game? Obviously when you're undersized at nearly every position, you're going to struggle defensively. Our two best weak-side defenders had DNPs (AJ and Max).

Nothing to be upset about. History, or in another obvious form of structural outcrops, are now visible:

Rip liked the comfort level of set patterns, with the feed post of accommodation (CB).

Sheed did what he wanted to do: no huddle man and out to the fringe where accountability is non-existent. But the team likes him.

Tay, who's over-marketed conceptualization of Mr. Defense, floats above this all because he is all softness, except when he plays to the west coast crowd (and Joe's alter ego).

All those above, have reached the river's edge and blame is outwardly expressed. Sheed and Rip now blame everyone else and pile up the "T"s. Tay takes the quiet route (naturally) and merely walks off the playing court before the game ends.

Nothing to be upset about. History, or in another obvious form of structural outcrops, are now visible:

Rip liked the comfort level of set patterns, with the feed post of accommodation (CB).

Sheed did what he wanted to do: no huddle man and out to the fringe where accountability is non-existent. But the team likes him.

Tay, who's over-marketed conceptualization of Mr. Defense, floats above this all because he is all softness, except when he plays to the west coast crowd (and Joe's alter ego).

All those above, have reached the river's edge and blame is outwardly expressed. Sheed and Rip now blame everyone else and pile up the "T"s. Tay takes the quiet route (naturally) and merely walks off the playing court before the game ends.

It's all leadership here, isn't it?

I'll have more on the bench and coaching aspects later.

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Best post I've seen in awhile. Very well written. Very professorial...

Good posts all around...Stones are a Jekyll & Hyde team...very painful to watch...I really would like to hear from joe about the whole situation...has anyone heard him speak about the team lately? Why do we care if AI pouts and has to come in off the bench...he is gone next year and nothing is working...freakin egos!!